


Promises He Couldn’t Keep

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Canon Rewrite, Foreshadowing, Gallows Humor, Good Parent Han Solo, Han Solo Has No Time For Your Bullshit, Other, POV Han Solo, Parent Han Solo, Philosophy, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 11:32:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14592117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Ben builds his lightsaber, and he and Han discuss the Dark Side.





	Promises He Couldn’t Keep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidgardianNerd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidgardianNerd/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: For MidgardianNerd. Sorry this is so late!

The day that Ben completed his lightsaber, he was thirteen years old. He’d already picked out the crystal, blue, apparently like the color of a Jedi Guardian’s. Han could still remember a then-nine-year-old Ben babbling about the difference between the classes, and Han trying to keep up — kids really could talk a mile a minute if they wanted to, really. Ben was possibly the best thing that happened to Han, but getting him to slow down was difficult. That was putting it mildly. 

Now, Ben had completed his lightsaber, and Han doubted he could be prouder of him. It was a foreign feeling when he first started out, this thrill at watching a lifeform grow and mature, learn how to walk, and plenty more. It was a sort of feeling that Han could only describe as protectiveness. A protective sort of  pride, a sort of adoration. 

Even showing it to him, Han jumped out of the way, laughing, putting his hands up. Ben lowered his lightsaber, deactivated it. “Yeah, I know...I’ll probably put someone’s eye out with that thing..."

”No, it looks nice. So...” Han sat down comfortably. “You’re a Jedi Guardian now? Congratulations. I knew you could do it.”

Ben grinned, and there was something about it that Han wished he could see more often. Ben was such a shy, serious kid sometimes. It would be nice to see that smile, that sort of radiant happiness, more often. 

“Thanks!” he said. 

“No problem.” Han grinned at him. “You’re doing great, kiddo. You really are. You’re gonna be a great Jedi, I know it.”

”I hope.”

“So, question,” Han said. “How come there aren’t any red lightsabers?”

“Master Huyang says that that’s the color of Sith lightsabers. Of Dark Sider lightsabers.”

”So they’re...evil lightsabers,” Han said. 

“Well, there’s no such thing as evil lightsabers, but yeah,” Ben said. “I mean, lightsabers are just objects, aren’t they? It’s the owner who decides what to do with them.” He sighed. “But Dad...I’m scared of falling.”

Han smiled. “You won’t, kiddo.”

”But I can’t — I can’t stay calm. And I’ve got a lot of anger in me...”

”Kiddo, when I was your age, I was the same way. And I survived it. I survived it all.” Han sighed. “See, the thing about the Jedi is that they assume the galaxy’s divided into good people and Dark Siders. It’s not. There’s a whole gray area in between all of it, and I think that’s where most people fall.”

”The Jedi say only a Sith deals in absolutes.”

Han snorted. “They could take their own advice. Getting angry doesn’t mean you’re gonna want to take over the galaxy. By that logic, I could become a Sith Lord just because of some moof-milker who cut me off in traffic on Coruscant...not that that happened.”

Ben laughed. It was a wonderful sound to hear. “That’s not how the Dark Side works!”

”I’m just saying, by that logic...” Han sighed. “I’d make a pretty bad Sith Lord anyway.”

If Luke was here, he would say that it wasn’t funny. But here, it was necessary, because the more Han thought about it, the angrier he got. Times like this, he fantasized about swooping our of the sky one day and taking Ben away from that awful place on adventures. Maybe they’d go to Naboo, or something like that. Anywhere. 

“I won’t fall,” Ben said. “Promise.”

"Kiddo, you don’t have to promise me. I have faith in you.”

 

 


End file.
